a note from Common Sense Presenter – Dana Blum

Here is the email that the presenter sent to the parents in attendance. She was unable to read many of the email addresses and asked me to re-post it:

Dear Hamlin Parents,
First, I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Hamlin parents and I was impressed with your deep engagement and interest in your kids media lives as well as the spirited discussion we started! You received a great deal of information to think about on Tuesday morning, no doubt the information can be overwhelming and confusing. I think it will be helpful for you to check out some of the guides, tips and “how to” information in a quiet place and at your leisure. Thus, I have compiled some great links to walk you through some of the questions I received following my presentation. I always feel that a great way to begin the dialogue with your kids is to sit down and share our Family Media Agreement. This is a simple first step and you will be surprised at how the agreement can set the stage for responsible and respectful media use.
Here is a connection to our Digital Glossary so that you and your kids can discuss technology using the same language. As you go through the glossary, click through on some of the platforms like Instagram and check out “What Parents Need to Know” and browse to the bottom of the page and take a look at “What’s it About” and ”Is it Any Good”, this is how you will get a deeper understanding of the platforms kids are using today. I also think it will be useful for parents to read through our “Three Great Parent Resources for Learning and Attention Issues”. Whether your child has a learning issue or not, this blog is filled with fantastic resources like Power UP – a guide offering great reviews of apps, games and websites that are helpful for all kids, including kids with special needs. Check out my favorite, Dexteria Dots, which will engage your kids and build great math skills.
Take a look at our Parent Concerns Platform, specifically our Privacy and Internet Concerns. You will see that we have thought of questions you may not have considered; you can click on these questions, based on the age of YOUR child. Also, since we know that kids spend about 7.5 hours a day on a screen, check out ourParent ConcernsScreen Time and find out what types of screen time are better than others!
I hope I haven’t inundated you with too much information, but I did want to point out a great blog about What Parents Need to Know About Kids, Media, and Body Imagewhich goes along with our newly published White Paper around Body Image.
We didn’t get into Distraction and Multitasking, but I wanted to attach a fantastic guide to review with your daughters about the best apps to help with distraction. I think you and your daughters will enjoy picking which app is best suited for their needs.
Lastly, I told a few parents after the discussion about a great video that shows kids taking what could have been a nasty cyber-bullying incident into an amazing teaching moment about the power of kindness and empathy. Go to our Connecting Families portal and then go to our Cyber-bullying unit. Click on the “Download the Case and Family Tip Sheet” then scroll down to the second video of Daniel Qui. If you have boys, you will especially enjoy this heartwarming story. Thank you for using Common Sense and please feel free to contact me directly with any specific questions. Have a fabulous week!
All the best, Dana Blum
Bay Area Director | Common Sense Media